Winged
by zegez
Summary: Cloud Strife, despite the best efforts of his friends, has been living a relatively quiet and subdued bachelor's life when a new source of excitement quite literally drops in on him. Wherein a dizzy with fever Zack Fair crash lands on Cloud's balcony and everything snowballs from there. Vigilante Wings!AU, ASGZC, Angeal/Sephiroth/Genesis/Zack/Cloud. Cross-posted on Ao3.
1. Chapter 1

Cloud didn't so much as twitch when something –or rather, someone landed on the balcony railing next to his head with an almost silent clack of shoes on metal. He felt their arrival more than anything, from the vibration through the frame against his back. He already knew who his guest was from the many times they'd visited before. And even if he hadn't, the ragged ends of a bright red coat fluttering about his head would've given them away.

Vincent observed his reclined form silently. "You're drinking", he eventually said in place of a greeting. Neutral, which Cloud appreciated. It was neither questioning nor disapproving, simply a statement of fact.

"I do, on occasion." No need to say what the occasion was, they both knew. Cloud took a slow drag and then raised the bottle up in invitation.

There was a slight pause before long, claw tipped fingers reached down and carefully wrapped around the bottle in acceptance.

Cloud tipped his head back and finally looked up at his guest.

Vincent's distinct red eyes were practically glowing from the unfettered light of the full moon above them and they narrowed slightly at the perfunctory sip he took. He hummed quietly in appreciation as he handed the bottle back down.

"Glad you approve", Cloud said, the edges of his eyes crinkling in a not-quite smile.

Vincent hopped down and landed lightly in the balcony. He made his way to the rail opposite Cloud and turned to face him again as he leaned back into it with his arms loosely crossed. "You are… in 'A Mood'", he observed, the quotation marks around the last two words practically audible.

Cloud snorted quietly in amusement at the uncharacteristic words said in his friend's deep, serious voice.

"When am I not, these days", he muttered into the neck of the bottle as he took another sip.

Vincent blinked slowly. He didn't have anything to say to that so he merely tipped his head in acknowledgment.

And since neither of them were particularly great conversationalists they dropped into silence from there. It was a comfortable silence however, and they continued to lounge together in mutual appreciation of the cool night air and the sprawling view of the city landscape under a carpet of stars and moonlight. The sky was clear for now but dark storm clouds swelled in the distance with a promise of rain.

Cloud could have asked what the visit was about but he didn't need to. He knew his friend was here to check up on him, in his own awkward way. They'd all been hovering more than usual and it was equal parts touching and annoying depending on the mood of the day or the way they went about it. This was nice though and Cloud was tipsy so he sighed in contentment as he laid his head against the balcony frame.

Eventually it grew too cold for Cloud, sitting on the metal of the balcony in nothing but his thin cotton shirt and sweatpants. The alcohol could only warm him so much and he had no plans to get drunk, so he capped the bottle and hauled himself up with a grunt. His head swam slightly at the movement but he blinked it away and stood on steady feet. Vincent also straightened out, taking it as his sign to leave.

"Thanks for dropping by", Cloud said sincerely. The company had been much more appreciated than he thought it would.

Vincent, perhaps sensing this, gave him a rare smile before he casually vaulted over the edge of the balcony and disappeared into the gloom of the night.

Cloud locked the balcony door behind him and fumbled with the cord around the drapes for a moment before he got it loose and drew them together. The kitchen light had been left on and it was sufficient enough that he could move around without having to worry about tripping over anything.

Cloud made his way back through the lounge room and without thinking his eyes slid over the collection of photos on top of his little bookcase. His gaze inevitably caught on the smiling face of his mother, half hidden behind the tasteful, pale beige funeral pamphlet leaning against the picture frame. Cloud wandered over and shifted the pamphlet to the side. She was grinning with her eyes crinkled shut, cheek squished against the side of his 10 year old self's head. She looked so happy and full of life… Cloud swallowed around the sudden tight, painful lump in his throat and quickly turned his face away.

"Fuck", he whispered shakily to his ceiling as he tipped his head back and blinked rapidly against the tears that wanted to escape. He dropped his head back down and sniffled, then drew a deep breathe, taking a moment to compose himself before he continued on the kitchen.

"No more alcohol for me", he told the empty apartment as he put the bottle back in its cupboard.

Five years to the day since she had passed and he still got like this. He wondered how many more years it would take before he could handle it better, if he ever could.

Cloud sighed heavily as he took a cup from the drying rack and filled it with tap water. It helped sooth his throat but it also dropped his core temperature and goosbumps sprung up along his exposed forearms with a shiver.

He continued to drink absently as he cranked up the thermostat and padded back into the lounge. He curled up on the couch, then settled back with the half-finished glass of water cradled in his lap.

Cloud channel surfed for a while, not really in the mood for anything in particular, before he finally settled on a late night news program.

They were running some shaky amateur video, clearly taken from a civilian's phone. It zoomed in and took a moment to focus on what looked like a plain old run down building… except that a moment later something burst out of one of the uppermost windows. Its appearance was indistinct because of the dark backdrop but as the camera swung wildly to follow the dark shape it became backlit by a nearby streetlamp. The video froze on the frame and zoomed in on the form of a man, dressed in all black, flying through the sky on a set of gigantic matching black feathered wings.

" -the latest sighting of one of the members of the so-called 'Soldiers'. The Police Commissioner refused to comment on recent speculations of a collaboration between the now pardoned vigilante group and local authorities-", the news reporter was saying as the video still-frame switched over to an interview with a stern faced man in uniform standing behind a podium against the backdrop of a police station.

Cloud made a noise of interest, taking a sip of water as he listened to the rest of the news report.

Soldiers were something like the local celebrities of their city. They'd started to pop up a good decade or two back and had since spread to other places as well, but it was here in Midgar where they'd started. They were essentially people who partook in vigilantism and had a variety of super-human abilities, with only a few possessing wings. They'd been pursued and classed as criminals for a time but due to the effectiveness of their work and a steady increase in numbers they'd eventually forced the authorities into a position where they'd had to grant them special consideration. Honestly, Cloud hadn't really paid attention to the specifics.

The person from the clip was someone he recognised from other recent news stories. He was a fairly new vigilante who had garnered a lot of attention due to speculation of his involvement with a certain group of Soldiers. A trio of winged men with the most prolific careers who had become so famous that they'd even amassed their own fanclubs. Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal.

If you asked Cloud, he would say he had a fairly neutral opinion towards Soldiers in general. He neither loved them nor hated them.

He could see the merits of their work and was grateful for what they did. And it wasn't like he could make character judgments. Mainly because he happened to be friends with one or two independent vigilantes himself, his earlier guest Vincent Valentine being one of them. He'd even lent them a hand on a number of occasions so he was in no position to be condemning their methods.

That being said… He'd been alive long enough to realise that you don't really know a person just because you're familiar with their public persona. Also, that just because an organisation had some good people in it, that didn't necessarily mean that everyone involved with them upheld the same moral integrity. With Soldier having grown to the size it now was… there were inevitably going to be some bad eggs mixed in.

Anyway…

Cloud perked up at a distant rumble of thunder, coming out of his thoughts. He could hear rain starting to fall a moment later and hummed happily at the ambient noise. He hoped it kept up because he rather enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of rain. It was very soothing.

The news ran into the weather segment and Cloud switched channels, landing on a re-run of a quiz show he sometimes watched. He'd finished his water though and was really starting to need the toilet so he stood up and stretched with a soft grunt of satisfaction as his joints popped. He made his way to the bathroom, muffling a yawn with the back of his hand.

By the time he came back out the light rain from before had turned into a heavy downpour and he wandered over to the balcony doors to take a peek through the curtains. Water was running in rivets down the glass and bouncing off the balcony frame with such violence that it created a slight haze.

There was a flash of movement in the dark and Cloud blinked curiously. A second later he jumped back with a gasp of surprise so sharp he almost choked as something very large crashed down into his balcony with a great ringing thud.

"Holy fuck-", Cloud wheezed, wide eyed and staring at the curtains which had fallen shut as he'd also jerked his arms back in fright.

He stood there frozen for a moment, heart pounding, and almost missed the low moan of pain that came from the balcony.

Cloud's already wide eyes widened even more, mouth falling open with incredulity. That was a person. A person had just dropped down into his balcony from god knows where. "Holy fuck", he gasped again in realisation.

He lurched forwards to throw the curtains out of the way and hurriedly unlocked the door before wrenching that open too. "Oh my god…"

He rushed out, unheeding of the frigidly cold rain-water that drenched him in seconds and was definitely getting his floor wet. One of the person's gigantic splayed out wings shifted and Cloud careful avoided stepping on it. Wings- holy fuck it was a Soldier.

"Are you okay?! Oh my god, you landed so hard and this is metal holy fuck-" Cloud babbled, squeezing himself along the railing of the balcony to try and get to the guy to help him. The space was definitely too small for this much extra appendage and him to fit in.

The guy seemed pretty out of it and took a moment to respond to Cloud, which was worrying. "Sorry, man, dropping in on you like this", he said with faint humour while pushing himself up on shaky arms.

Cloud let out a slightly hysterical huff of laughter, shaking his head in disbelief.

The Soldier lifted his wings out of the way as he got on hands and knees. One of them half folded at his side and the other went up and draped limply across the top of the balcony railings. The shift in position meant that Cloud could finally get at him properly and he ducked in closer, hands hovered uncertainly.

"Hey, can you stand? Should you stand?" he asked worriedly. That impact had been seriously bad and Soldier or not Cloud was pretty anxious about whether or not the guy had broken something. Or ruptured or- god he didn't know. Cloud shuffled in closer and knelt near him, lightly placing a hand on his shoulder after a moment of deliberation.

"Yeah." The Soldier lifted his head and blinked up at him with bleary eyes. "I think so…"

Cloud's mouth went dry as he finally got a good look at his surprise guest's face.

He was absolutely gorgeous. Also, clearly sick, if the glazed look in his eyes and the clamminess of his skin was any indication.

Cloud frowned. "Hang on", he said, considering logistics as he looked back and forth between the Soldier's wings and the doorway. He shuffled back over to the balcony doors to open the other side and once that was done, came back to kneel by the Soldier again.

"Come on, let's get you out of the rain", he said kindly and encouraged the Soldier to straighten up.

The man blinked hazily again but followed his prompting and let Cloud duck under his arm and grab him about the waist.

Cloud said in warning, "One, two-", and on "three" hauled the guy up with a grunt of exertion. Luckily the Soldier did half the work for him because there's no way he could've lifted him by himself. The guy was pure muscle and with those wings too, sodden and weighed down with water…

The pair staggered through the balcony doors and into the warmth of the apartment. Cloud carefully helped the man lower himself into the couch cushions and the Soldier sighed in relief as he let his water logged wings drape over the back and relax.

"Wait a sec", Cloud said and hurried out to the hall to grab an armful of towels from the linen closet.

The Soldier cracked an eye open as Cloud came back and rolled his head to look at him. "Sorry about your couch", he said with a faint grimace.

Cloud waved him off with a muttered, "Its fine", on his way past and locked the balcony doors again before dropping the towels onto the substantial puddle that had formed. It would have to do for now.

Cloud went back over to the couch where the Soldier was still watching him and switched the TV off. He licked his lips nervously in the ensuing quiet before he spoke.

"You should probably take a shower or something to warm up and I'll try to find you a change of clothes."

After another moment of hesitance he laid the palm of his hand against the Soldier's clammy forehead, not missing the slight tensing of the man's expression as he reached out and how closely he followed the move.

"You're burning up and there's no way I'm letting you fly off with a fever like that. So, you can stay the night and someone can pick you up in the morning, I guess." Cloud frowned. "If you have someone who can…?" he asked hesitantly, trying not to be presumptuous but also not wanting to pry.

The Soldier huffed and gave him a bemused look. Something about the expression seemed wary to Cloud but the man answered him anyway.

"Yeah, I do", he confirmed the last part. "Are you sure that's okay though, I mean, it's a pretty big imposition- putting up some random guy that crashed on your balcony." He paused. "I could be an axe-murderer for all you know."

Cloud gave him a dry look. "I'm not in the habit of offering things I don't mean to. And besides-" Cloud thoughtfully eyed the man's wings, the mark of a meta-human from Soldier. A group which, whatever their methods might be, had been serving the city and trying to keep people safe for years. "I think there's a good chance I owe you one already", he quipped.

The Soldier barked out a laugh and something about his expression softened. He drew a deep breath and sighed it back out through his nose. "I guess I'll take you up on that shower then."

Cloud's lips twitched as he ducked forwards to help the Soldier up again. "You probably won't fit, now that I think about it."

The Soldier's eyes glinted with amusement, "That's what she said."

Cloud snorted. "Seriously?" He side-eyed the taller man. "I take it back, you need to leave", he said flatly but was given away by the smile he couldn't quite keep off his face.

The man chuckled, seeming pleased with himself as he accepted Cloud's support again and they straightened out. "I'm Zack, by the way", he offered as they started to shuffle their way towards the bathroom.

"Nice to meet you, Zack, circumstances aside", Cloud said honestly and the man made a noise of amusement. "I'm Cloud."

"Cloud, huh?" Zack murmured, sliding him a sideways glance.

Cloud looked back at him, sensing the attention.

"That's a pretty name. Suits you." Zack smiled with boyish charm. He had dimples.

Cloud stared, and then when he realised he was staring quickly darted his eyes away again. The tips of his ears felt very hot. "Thanks", he muttered shyly.

Zack seemed delighted. "You're welcome."

Thankfully they had reached the bathroom and Cloud set the Soldier down on the closed lid of the toilet. "You good?" he asked and Zack gave him a quick smile.

"I'm good."

Cloud nodded and went to find him some clothes. Hopefully he had something that'd fit, he thought while digging through his cupboard.

Thank god he had a new, half-opened pack of underwear, which he gathered together with a pair of thick socks, some loose sweatpants that were a little long in the leg for him and an oversized long sleeve shirt.

It should be fine. Zack seemed about two or three inches taller than him at most and he had more muscle but- Cloud paused as he reached the linen closet on his way back down the hall and came very close to smacking a hand to his face as he realised. The guy had wings. How the hell could he overlook that? Cloud grabbed a towel and scowled to himself as he went back to the bathroom.

"Something wrong?" Zack asked as he came back in.

Cloud looked up sheepishly and then stopped in his tracks, blinking in astonishment.

….Zack's wings were gone.

Zack followed his incredulous gaze and smiled wanly. "Yeah, neat trick. Sorry I didn't do it earlier but it takes a bit of concentration", he explained, sounding slightly more tired than he had before Cloud left.

"No, that's fine…", Cloud said absently as he came closer, curiously eyeing Zack's exposed back. His black knit shirt was whole, no slits or anything. Cloud really wanted to ask but bit his tongue and kept the questions to himself. It wasn't his business and whatever, if it worked it worked, problem solved.

He laid the towel and clothes on the countertop and hesitated over what he wanted to say. "Take it easy", he eventually decided on. "Don't rush just cause you're borrowing the place. If you get dizzy or anything, you know…", he trailed off awkwardly, not looking at the Soldier. When he did glance over, Zack was giving him a soft look.

"I will, don't worry. Don't wanna pass out in your shower and give you even more to deal with", he grinned crookedly.

And there were those dimples again. Cloud looked away with a nod and quickly exited the room.

* * *

"Cloud?" Zack's voice carried hesitantly into the hallway.

Cloud quickly made his way towards the bathroom. "What's up, you okay?" he asked as he approached.

Zack was leaning heavily against the doorframe, looking faintly nauseous with his eyes squeezed shut and his hair lying damp and plastered along his neck and face. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the change of clothes and the slight flush to his skin you probably wouldn't have noticed a difference to before. It was like he'd just exchanged one form of wet for another.

The Soldier cracked open his eyes when he heard Cloud and gave him a sheepish smile. "I think I need to borrow your shoulder again", he admitted, gaze flickering away as though ashamed to be asking for more help.

Cloud didn't say anything, simply ducked closer and assumed the same position from the first two times, snaking an arm around the taller man's waist and letting him sling one of his arms over his shoulders.

Zack laid his free hand against the hallway wall for extra support and they moved at a slow pace, even though he was lighter without the wings. Whatever he did to make them go away had clearly made his condition worse. The Soldier made a curious sound as they didn't head back to the lounge room. Instead, Cloud nudged his bedroom door wider open with one foot and brought the man into the room.

"This is…", Zack trailed off, obviously guessing where they were.

Cloud finished the statement for him anyway. "My room", he confirmed and sat Zack down on the bed.

"Cloud-", Zack started to say, sounding uncomfortable.

Cloud cut him off. "You're taking the bed, sickie, and I'm on the couch. I wouldn't recommend trying to out-stubborn me", he said. "I changed the sheets and I can change them again later. It's one night." He gave Zack a look that said he wasn't gonna hear anything else about this.

"I got the couch wet, earlier", Zack reminded him unhappily.

"Only one side", Cloud shot back. "And it's a fold-out anyway so I'll manage."

Zack floundered for a moment, clearly wanting to continue arguing for proprieties sake but at Cloud's increasingly hard stare gave in with a bemused laugh and raked his fingers through his damp hair. "Alright", he huffed.

Cloud nodded in satisfaction. "Also I'm drying your hair so deal with it", he threw over his shoulder as he went to fetch the mini hairdryer he hardly ever used. Zack's more genuine sounding laughter floated after him and Cloud smiled to himself, pleased.

* * *

Cloud hung Zack's and his own soaked clothes up to dry in the laundry and then retreated to the kitchen to make tea. The sound of the tea kettle was half to give Zack an extra layer of privacy while he called whoever it was that was going to pick him up tomorrow.

The way he had fiddled with his cell phone while shooting Cloud guilty glances as he dried his hair had clued him in to the Soldier's intentions and before the man could even ask, Cloud had been up and leaving.

"Sunrise building, apartment 52", he informed his guest and closed the door behind him with a soft, "Take your time."

The slightly stunned and then deeply grateful look Zack had given him was strangely gratifying, though he didn't think he'd done anything particularly grand. No matter how well they'd been getting on they'd only known each other for like an hour or two tops. If he was in Zack's position he was sure he'd have learned to be careful too. It was only reasonable.

Once his tea was steeping Cloud moved to the lounge room to start setting up for the night. He shoved his little coffee table off to the side and started pulling the cushions off of the fold-out couch, damp and dry alike, and strewed them hap hazardously across the floor.

He made his way back to the linen closet for the third time that night and found himself some sheets and blankets. He deliberately made as much noise as he could while doing so and tried very hard to not listen to Zack's indistinct voice coming from the bedroom. As he headed back towards the lounge he still managed to catch something that sounded very much like his name and hastened his steps.

Cloud turned the TV back on as soon as he got back - again, mostly for the ambient noise - and then went about making his bed.

Once done he fetched his tea, then returned and plonked himself down at the top of the bed, leaning against one of the arm-rests while he drank. By the time he had finished he was finally starting to feel tired and decided it was time to call it a night.

When he passed the bedroom to go brush his teeth he couldn't hear Zack's voice anymore so on his way back he cautiously made his way up to the door.

He knocked lightly. "Zack?"

"Yeah", Zack called back.

Cloud opened the door. "I was thinking of turning in, is there anything else you need for the night?" he asked.

Zack shook his head, sitting up against the headboard with his phone in his lap. "Nah, I'm good, thanks."

Cloud nodded and was about to leave when Zack called out to him again.

"Cloud?"

"Hm?" he hummed, blinking curiously at his guest.

"Seriously, thank you." Zack held his gaze for a long moment with a slight smile hovering around his lips.

Cloud tipped his head and gave a small smile back. "You're welcome", he demurred. "Goodnight, Zack."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Cloud woke up in the early morning to the sound of his intercom ringing through the apartment. He groaned and rolled himself reluctantly out of bed, taking a moment to rub the grit from his eyes before he staggered over to buzz the person through. It occurred to him a second after having done so that he maybe should have confirmed with Zack what the person coming to get him would look like or call themselves, on the slim off-chance that some shady person showed up to try and take him instead.

Before he had time to work himself into a panic at that idea there was a polite but insistent knocking at the door. Either he was more out of it than he'd realised or that was very, very quick. Suspicious, but… Cloud decided it was too early to be so paranoid, said fuck it, and answered the door anyway.

"'Llo", he greeted sleepily, blindly waving the person through while still just barely able to squint through his eyes. "Hallway, second door on the right."

The person brushed past him after a slight pause and wow they smelled so nice. Cloud shivered and closed the door behind them. He yawned into his elbow and made his way back to the couch, where he promptly crawled back onto the mattress and flopped belly-down with a sigh.

After a moment the sound of quiet voices reached him from the bedroom. With how calm they seemed to both be, Cloud concluded that he hadn't let some kind of underworld villain into his home and hummed happily, already starting to drift off again.

What seemed like only a second later someone was prodding at his shoulder. "Cloud."

Cloud grunted in acknowledgment.

"Cloud, buddy, wakey-wakey."

Cloud scowled. "Cloud's not here right now", he muttered, pulling the sheets over his face.

Someone laughed and there was a light tug on his hair.

"Come on, you can do it. I need to say goodbye, bud, can't do that with you asleep."

That… sounded very reasonable. Damnit.

Cloud sighed and sat up with great effort.

"Why're you so chipper?" he complained and managed to crack open an eye to peer blearily at Zack's far too amused looking face.

"Why're you so cute?" Zack asked him back with a fond look.

Cloud felt the back of his neck heat up and he averted his gaze with a put out scowl.

"Aw", Zack cooed, and again gave a piece of his hair a light tug.

"You were saying goodbye", Cloud reminded him.

Zack smiled indulgently. "Yeah, Gen came to get me a bit earlier than planned", he said, glancing back over his shoulder. Cloud looked as well, and for the first time took note of the silent third person leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. This was the person he had let in earlier.

His features were half hidden by a black face mask and his hair was covered by a dark maroon beanie. Everything about his posture said disinterest except he was watching the both of them very closely.

Gen, huh.

Cloud gave Zack a slightly concerned look.

"Has anyone ever told you", he asked slowly, "that you suck at keeping secrets?"

Zack blinked and then threw his head back and laughed. The sound was a little croaky and he ended up coughing lightly as it tapered off.

Cloud closed his eyes and rubbed tiredly at his forehead as though staving off a headache. "Seriously", he muttered, "what was the point of leaving the room last night."

Zack chuckled hoarsely. "Sorry", he said and then started to get up from where he had been kneeling at the back of the couch. 'Gen' straightened up from the wall and walked over to help him, arms slipping around Zack's waist with easy familiarity.

Cloud looked up at the both of them with a sudden rush of awkwardness. Zack smiled again, seemingly oblivious, and reached out to give his hair a light ruffle.

"Bye, Cloud. And seriously, thanks again for everything", he said sincerely.

Cloud hummed in reply, a bit too thrown by the gesture of affection to respond any other way. "Bye", he managed to say as Zack's hand retreated.

The two of them left.

And that was that, Cloud told himself, flopping over and trying to ignore the irrational prickle of disappointment in his chest.

* * *

**AN/:**

Chara headcanons for this fic:

Cloud: 170 = 5'7 : 24yr

Zack: 178 = 5'10 : 26yr

Genesis: 180 = 5'11 : 32yr

Sephiroth: 185 = 6'1 : 30yr

Angeal: 183 = 6'0 : 31yr


	2. Chapter 2

Zack knew he had fucked up as the heavens opened overhead and doused him with frigid rain-water. In the open sky he was completely exposed and became soaked to the bone almost instantly. His wings worked overtime to keep him airborne as he started descending and touched down heavily on a nearby rooftop. He trailed water as he trudged along doggedly from one side to the other, then, with great effort, managed to take off again. He repeated this a few times, hopping from one building to the next. All the while his dizziness steadily increased.

When he reached the edge of the next building it suddenly became too much. Zack's head swam alarmingly and the world tipped before his eyes. He must've blacked out for a second because the next thing he knew he was plunging towards the ground with a sharp gasp of terror. Thankfully(?), something caught him before he could reach it.

He crashed down into a metal balcony with a bone-rattling thud and the breath was knocked from his lungs. He lay there, stunned and winded while the world span around him. His whole body throbbed from his racing pulse and the pain from the impact. Zack groaned and clenched his eyes shut.

A wedge of light washed over him along with a sudden burst of noise as someone wrenched open the balcony door. The person's anxious voice reached him but the words were half garbled by the fierce pounding in his head. He could feel them getting closer, carefully moving around his splayed wings, and Zack was grateful for that.

He swallowed and took a deep breath to steady himself, pushing up on arms that felt like jello. The person had stopped talking and Zack took a moment to find his own voice before he managed to say, "Sorry, man, dropping in on you like this."

His quip was met with a disbelieving huff of laughter and Zack felt proud of himself for being able to calm the civilian down despite the state he was in. Somehow, he managed to get himself up on his hands and knees and dragged his wings into a less awkward position

The person was suddenly a lot closer, well within arm's reach and leaning towards him. "Hey, can you stand? Should you stand?" they asked him fretfully and after a moment knelt down. A warm hand lightly touched his shoulder.

"Yeah", he answered their question, raising his head. "I think I can."

Zack blinked dazedly as he finally got a good look at the person, and it was only half because of his sickness.

The first thought that floated through his fever addled brain was: _an angel…?_ The light from the open doorway washed over the person's rain-soaked skin and hair, glittering off of water droplets that clung to the ends of his miraculously intact spikes and lending him an almost ethereal golden glow. He had the bluest eyes Zack had ever seen in his life.

The guy frowned at him and darted a look between his wings and the doorway with a distracted sounding, "hang on." He got up to open the other side of the double doors and then came back to Zack's side.

"Come on", he said softly, both hands splaying over Zack's shoulders with an encouraging push, "let's get you out of the rain."

Zack straightened out at the prompting and passively allowed the man to duck under one arm and grab him around the waist. The warm press of his body was an incredibly welcome change to the freezing rain-water and the metal of the balcony under his legs.

"One, two, three-", the guy counted and together they managed to get Zack on his feet.

The apartment was heated and the couch was bliss to his achy body. Zack felt a stab of guilt over how badly he was probably ruining the upholstery but sunk down with a grateful sigh regardless.

The guy told him to wait, like Zack could go anywhere, and ducked out of the room.

Zack let his head lean against the back of the couch and he took a deep breath.

His boyfriends were gonna kill him, he thought to himself miserably.

No, scratch that. They'd nurse him back to health and then kill him, which was arguably worse since it came with a heaping side-dish of guilt.

He'd known he was getting sick but had promised them that he'd be careful and that he would be fine anyway. _Ha._

Zack was pulled from his thoughts as his would-be saviour came back.

"Sorry about your couch", he told the blonde, eyeing the bundle of towels he'd brought back with him.

The guy waved him off and Zack watched in confusion as he locked the balcony doors before dropping the towels onto a large puddle of water that must've formed while they'd been left open. He'd thought the towels were for him…

The blonde turned and walked over, looking shifty as he switched the TV off and gave him a thoughtful once over. "You should probably take a shower or something to warm up and I'll try to find you a change of clothes", he said suddenly.

Zack felt his eyebrows arching up. That was a very generous offer, almost suspiciously so. It also kind of sounded like the set up to a bad porno.

Zack couldn't help but tense as the blonde reached for him but the man simply laid his hand over his forehead with a clinical touch, only letting it stay there long enough to tell that he was unwell.

"You're burning up", the man observed, "and there's no way I'm letting you fly off with a fever like that. So, you can stay the night and someone can pick you up in the morning, I guess. If you have someone who can…?" He trailed off, frowning and looking shifty again as his eyes dropped to the ground, clearly thinking about something.

Zack tried to cover his paranoia, feeling wary but wanting to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. "Yeah, I do", he said and the guy glanced back up at him. "Are you sure that's okay though, I mean, it's a pretty big imposition -putting up some random guy that crashed on your balcony. I could be an axe-murderer for all you know."

A deeply unimpressed look stole across the blonde's features and Zack blinked, a little stunned as the man's entire demeanour seemed to suddenly open up.

"I'm not in the habit of offering things I don't mean to", he informed Zack dryly. "And besides", he continued, blue eyes sweeping pointedly over Zack's drooping wings as his expression softened thoughtfully.

Zack barely restrained the urge to preen under that intense gaze.

"I think there's a good chance I owe you one already", the blonde finished saying at last, giving him a not-quite smile.

Zack couldn't help but laugh, surprised. That was some unusual reasoning but he could see where the guy was coming from. He relaxed, sighing, and decided to trust. "I guess I'll take you up on that shower then."

The blonde seemed pleased as he held out his hands, which Zack took and allowed himself to be pulled up off the couch. "You probably won't fit, now that I think about it", the blonde said contemplatively as he stepped in close, and again that lithe body pressed up along Zack's side.

And of course Zack couldn't help himself. "That's what she said", he said almost automatically.

The blonde snorted. "Seriously?" he asked, giving him the stink eye. "I take it back, you need to leave."

It was an admirable delivery, though the blonde couldn't quite keep his expression under check, lips twitching into a smile despite the flatness of his words. Zack laughed.

It suddenly occurred to him that introductions would be a good idea. "I'm Zack, by the way", he said as they made their way towards a hallway.

"Nice to meet you, Zack, circumstances aside."

Zack made an amused sound. Yeah, not his usual method of making friends.

"I'm Cloud."

Zack blinked. "Cloud, huh?" he murmured and eyed the blonde. "That's a pretty name. Suits you." Considering what his first impression of him had been… It really, really did, Zack thought, smiling widely.

Cloud's eyes widened. He stared blankly back at Zack for a long moment and then suddenly turned his face away. "Thanks", he muttered.

The tips of his ears, Zack noted with giddy delight, were bright red.

"You're welcome", he chirped.

Finally, they'd reached a modest bathroom and Cloud directed Zack onto the closed lid of a toilet. Zack sat and draped his arms over his knees.

"You good?" Cloud asked, eyeing him closely.

He'd definitely been better, but for now, good enough. Zack smiled lightly. "I'm good."

Cloud nodded and left the room, probably to go and find him those clothes he'd mentioned earlier.

He'd been right about the shower, Zack thought, eyeing the stall. He wouldn't fit as things were so he took the opportunity while he was waiting and closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he reached into that metaphysical space inside him.

This probably wasn't gonna feel great with the condition he was in, but, for the sake of practicality he willed his wings away. The effort zapped him of the little energy he had left and the rush of cold as they folded out of reality made him feel about as awful as he suspected it would. He grimaced, hanging his head with a barely suppressed groan.

But Cloud was coming back and Zack raised his head again with great effort. He blinked curiously at the frustrated look on the blonde's face.

"Something wrong?" He asked, somehow keeping his voice even.

Cloud's gaze darted up, lips starting to pull into a sheepish grimace before his features suddenly morphed into a wide-eyed look of astonishment.

He could guess what that was about. Zack glanced towards his own exposed back and smiled. "Yeah, neat trick. Sorry I didn't do it earlier but it takes a bit of concentration."

"No", Cloud said slowly, eyes locked on the now empty space as he came closer. "That's fine…" His gaze swept over Zack's shoulder blades and he was clearly curious but turned away after a moment to lay an armful of fabric on the counter opposite Zack.

He stood there silent for a moment, with his back still to the Soldier, before he finally spoke. "Take it easy. Don't rush just cause you're borrowing the place. If you get dizzy or anything, you know…" Cloud trailed off. He sounded awkward but the sentiment behind the words was conveyed loud and clear. It was sweet. He really was a good guy.

Cloud glanced over his shoulder with those pretty blue eyes and Zack hoped his expression wasn't too dopey. "I will, don't worry", he said. "Don't wanna pass out in your shower and give you even more to deal with." Zack grinned and Cloud's gaze bounced away again in another apparent fit of shyness before he nodded and left him to it.

It took Zack an almost embarrassingly long time to peel the drenched clothing away from his body and he piled everything in a careless heap. Every article felt twice as heavy, water logged as they were, and even his underwear made an audible wet splat as it hit the tiles. Zack snickered to himself. Geez.

His skin was so chilled that when he stepped under the warm spray of water it hurt from the abrupt change in temperature. Kind of like pins and needles, only with burning. Zack hissed softly at the sensation, wiggling his toes where it was particularly bad. It faded after a minute or two as he adjusted and he could feel his muscles unwinding.

Zack laid his burning forehead against the cool tiles of the wall and held back what would have been a very inappropriate sounding moan. He didn't want to accidentally give his host the wrong idea.

He didn't bother using anything to wash his hair. He got the impression Cloud wouldn't have minded either way but its not like he needed to so he left it. He did borrow the soap though and gave the essentials a quick scrub.

It must've only taken him a couple of minutes tops but just standing unsupported for that long took its toll. By the time he had dried himself and slipped into his borrow clothes he was feeling exhausted and deeply nauseous. He suspected his desire to warm up the rest of his body had backfired with his fever and he had to quickly get down on hands and knees for a moment, head hanging as he rode out a strong bout of dizziness.

After a while he found the will to stand back up.

He fished his mobile out of his discarded trousers and tucked it into his pocket before he opened the door. That was as far as he got before the dizziness quickly re-emerged. Zack grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the spinning hallway as he leant against the doorframe. Shit.

"Cloud", he called.

The sound of footsteps immediately hurried towards him. "What's up, you okay?" Cloud's concerned voice reached him a moment later.

Zack swallowed and slit his eyes open. "I think I need to borrow your shoulder again", he reluctantly admitted. Good guy or not he was seriously putting Cloud out tonight.

Bless him though, the blonde mercifully didn't say anything. He'd changed his clothes, Zack noted, curling his fingers against his shoulder as he was helped down the hallway again. He leant some of his weight against the wall as they went in a feeble attempt to take some of the load off.

Zack made a curious sound when instead of heading back to the lounge as he'd assumed they would, Cloud redirected them into a different room. Zack's gaze flittered about, quickly taking in the interior, and he immediately realised where they were.

"This is…"

"My room", Cloud said and turned them around, sitting Zack down on the edge of the bed.

Zack felt a flush of discomfort. He was a fairly laid back guy but, seriously, there was a limit to how much you could impose on a person you'd just met, even when it was being offered. "Cloud-" he started to say, intending to rebuke him, but the blonde was having none of it.

"You're taking the bed, sickie, and I'm on the couch. I wouldn't recommend trying to out-stubborn me", Cloud said, cutting him off, but not unkindly. He continued to say, "I changed the sheets and I can change them again later. It's one night." The look he turned on Zack brooked no argument. Still.

"I got the couch wet, earlier", Zack reminded him, heart sinking.

"Only one side", Cloud rebuffed glibly. "And it's a fold-out anyway so I'll manage."

Zack floundered in the face of Cloud's resoluteness, searching for something else to say, but the words dried up under the blonde's narrowing blue gaze.

He laughed breathlessly in defeat and pulled his damp hair back. "Alright", he conceded.

Cloud nodded once, sharply, eyes glittering with triumph. He turned about face. "Also I'm drying your hair so deal with it", he said haughtily as he left the room and a surprised laugh burst out of Zack at the clear teasing. He shook his head and ran a hand down his face, leaving it over his grinning mouth as he stared out the doorway Cloud had just disappeared through.

The expression slowly faded as he realised that he really needed to call one of his boyfriends, who had undoubtedly noticed his lateness by now. He flicked his phone open and sure enough, he already had several missed calls and a handful of text messages. Zack winced guiltily. God he sucked.

Cloud came back to the room, brandishing a small hairdryer, and Zack huffed in amusement despite his fallen mood. Cloud faltered for a moment, gaze flickering over Zack's expression and darting down to the mobile in his hands. He seemed to want to say something but, like earlier, kept quiet and continued on as he was.

He switched out the bedside lamp's plug with the dryer's and left it resting by Zack's hip as he made his way around to the other side of the bed. Cloud climbed on with a quiet squeak of mattress springs and it shifted under his weight as he scooted forwards on his knees. He settled behind Zack at a polite distance. "I'll use the cool setting but tell me if you need to stop", he instructed as he picked the dryer up.

Zack nodded.

The sound the dryer made meant that any conversation was impractical, so they sat in relatively easy silence as Cloud worked.

It took a little while since, as Cloud had said, they used the cool air setting only, in an attempt to not aggravate his fever any further.

It was quite relaxing as the blonde's fingers combed through his hair, scritching against his scalp as he checked for dampness and carefully worked out any tangles along the way.

Zack probably would have enjoyed it more in other circumstances but the steadily growing need to contact and reassure his boyfriends of his wellbeing was dominating his thoughts. He turned the mobile in his hand, over and over as he tried vainly to think of a way to ask for privacy that didn't sound rude or ungrateful. No matter how he worded it he'd end up sounding like he found Cloud untrustworthy.

The dryer powered down with a soft hum and the mattress bounced as Cloud stood up, deftly gathering the dryer's cable in a series of lops around his hand. Zack opened his mouth, drawing breath to speak, but Cloud beat him to it. "Sunrise building, apartment 52", he said as he made for the door.

Zack blinked, confused for a moment before realisation set in and he was once again floored by this man's thoughtfulness. Honest to god he came this close to tearing up. He could only hope that he conveyed the depth of his appreciation with his expression as Cloud looked back at him with a soft, "Take your time", and shut the door with a gentle click.

Zack shifted up the bed and settled back against the headboard. He quickly skimmed through the increasingly worried sounding texts he'd received and then clicked on the last missed call notif, which was from Genesis, and rang the number back.

It was picked up barely two rings in and Zack winced. He really had worried them.

"Zack", his boyfriend's sharp with stress voice said in place of a greeting. "Where are you? I'm putting you on speaker."

There was a scuffle of movement as he was switched over and Zack heard Angeal calling, "_Is that Zack?"_ from somewhere in the apartment. Sephiroth's voice, which sounded much closer, called back, "Yes, it is." After a moment Angeal spoke again, sounding like he'd entered the room, "Zack."

They were all together then.

"Hey", Zack said soothingly, "hey, my guys. I'm so, so sorry for worrying you but I swear I'm fine. I uhh, I'm not actually sure where I am right now. But I'm safe."

"You don't know where you are?" Genesis asked.

Zack hummed. "Well, kinda. I mean, I know what the building is cause the guy whose balcony I landed in told me but uhh, yeah, I don't know."

"You landed in someone's balcony?" Angeal sounded concerned.

Zack pursed his lips and hummed again, trying to think of the best way to phrase his unfortunate mishap. "Zack", Angeal pressed as he took too long to answer.

Zack sighed gustily. "'Kay, so, you know how I said my cold wasn't so bad and that I'd be fine?"

"…Yes", Genesis answered, in a 'go on' sort of tone.

"Well, turns out I was wrong and I kinda, maybe, uh-", he turned his eyes towards the ceiling and prayed for mercy, "-fell off a building, a little."

"You what?!" Angeal exclaimed, almost drowning out Sephiroth's low noise of worry.

This was immediately followed by Genesis's accusatory, "You said you were fine!"

"I am!" Zack quickly defended, but amended a beat later with, "Mostly."

"_Mostly?"_, Genesis stressed back, demanding explanation.

Zack took a deep breath. "I wasn't really hurt from the fall. Cause like I said, balcony. But yeah I can't really move around on my own right now since I get, like, nauseatingly dizzy just standing up too long. So the guy whose balcony I landed in said it was cool for me to stay the night and he lent me some clothes and his shower and yeah. So I'm good, promise. Sick, but, fine." He explained in a rush, fiddling nervously with the end of his borrowed shirt.

There was a moment of silence as they took in his words and then Sephiroth finally spoke up. "This person", he started slowly, "the guy whose balcony you landed on", he parroted Zack's phrasing which earned a quiet huff of amusement from Genesis. "He lent you clothes? And his shower?"

Zack nodded even though they couldn't see him, "And he said I could stay the night."

There was another beat of silence. "That's very generous of him, considering you're complete strangers", Sephiroth said at last.

Aaand there was the crux of the matter. Zack knew him well enough to read between the lines and hear what was being unsaid.

_Are you sure this person doesn't have ulterior motives?_

Zack's automatic response was a bristle of offense on Cloud's behalf and he felt the need to defend him. This was tempered quickly by the knowledge that all three of his boyfriends had legitimate, historical reasons for any wariness they might have felt at the situation. Zack was fortunate in that he hadn't experienced anything like they had, and hopefully never would, but he understood exactly where they were coming from.

Still, he liked Cloud and he felt like he could trust him so he said as much. "Yeah, yeah I know, and I get why you're worried. I do. But, Cloud's a good guy and I trust him. I trust that what he's doing, he's doing out of genuine kindness and not for some other reason", Zack said with conviction.

Genesis sighed on the other end of the line.

"If you're sure", Angeal said. "We trust your judgement."

Zack chewed guiltily at his lower lip. "…Even though I promised I'd be fine going out with my cold and was wrong?" he asked quietly.

Now Angeal sighed and Sephiroth answered for him.

"Did you say you'd be fine and go out knowing that you wouldn't be?"

Zack blinked. "No, that'd be stupid. I wouldn't make you worry like that."

"You didn't know it'd get this bad?"

"No, it just happened suddenly half way back."

"You honestly though it would be fine at the time."

"…Yeah", Zack answered slowly, starting to see where this was going.

"Then it's not your fault. You didn't break a promise because you couldn't have known", Sephiroth concluded.

"And besides," Angeal added. "This and that are different. You're an excellent judge of character so if you say this person is safe then we believe you", he reassured gently and Zack was overcome with love for his boyfriends. He beamed from the force of the emotion swelling in his chest.

"Okay", he answered thickly.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to come over to you now?" Genesis asked.

Zack made a positive sound. "Yeah. It's okay. It's late and still raining anyways."

Genesis harrumphed. "Like that would stop me."

Zack laughed softly. "Yeah, I know, you'd go through hell and high water, babe. Never doubted it. But it really is fine though."

"Alright", Genesis said reluctantly.

"One of us will come and pick you up in the morning then. What's the address?" Angeal asked and there was the sound of paper being shuffled and a pen clicking.

"Uh, like I said, I'm not sure but you can probably look it up. Sunrise apartments."

"Hm. One moment", Angeal said and there was a few seconds of quiet. "Got it?" He asked, directed at whoever was looking it up at their end.

"Here", Genesis answered and this was followed by a shift and the scratching of pen on paper.

Angeal hummed. "What room?"

"52", Zack tried to say but was interrupted by a yawn which garbled the word halfway through so that it turned into "fi eee soo". He shook his head and tried again. "Sorry. Fifty two."

"Got it", Angeal said fondly. "Alright then, I suppose we should let you go for now. You need sleep."

Zack hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight. Sleep well", said Sephiroth.

"Goodnight, darling, we love you", Genesis added.

"I love you guys too, goodnight."

"Goodnight, love." Angeal hung up the call.

Less than a minute later there was a quiet knock at the door.

"Zack?" Cloud called from the other side.

"Yeah", he called back.

The door opened and Cloud peeked hesitantly into the room. "I was thinking of turning in, is there anything else you need for the night?" he asked, voice hushed.

Zack shook his head. "Nah, I'm good, thanks."

Cloud nodded and started to close the door.

Zack called out again. "Cloud?"

Cloud hummed and looked back at him.

"Seriously", Zack said and held his gaze, trying to convey the full weight of the sincerity behind his words. "Thank you."

They stared at one another for a moment and Cloud seemed to get it because he tipped his head with a small smile. "You're welcome", he said shyly. "Goodnight, Zack."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Honestly, Genesis didn't know what he had been expecting when Zack had told them about this 'Cloud' the night before, but it certainly hadn't been…this.

The man who answered the door seemed to be in a half-zombie state, barely functioning with his eyes squinted shut against the morning light streaming into the apartment behind him. It reflected radiantly off the golden blonde of his hair, which was currently mussed in the most extreme case of bedhead that Genesis had ever laid eyes on.

Despite that, his features were lovely and he had a very pleasant, low voice that wasn't at all diminished by the slight huskiness from sleep. He waved Genesis through without looking at him and after a moment to get over his shock (and to ogle) Genesis stepped into the apartment.

The man closed the door but didn't follow after him as Genesis had half expected him too. Instead, the rumpled beauty staggered his way back towards a fold-out couch bed and crawled onto it before all but collapsing down with a symphony of squealing springs and a content sigh.

He seemed completely at ease despite having just let a complete stranger into his home and apparently trusted Genesis to simply do what he had come to do without supervision.

And Genesis wasn't quite sure to make of that.

Regardless, he followed the man's instructions and crept silently down the hall, anxious to see his lover.

The room he entered was clearly the master bedroom, meaning that the blonde had offered not only his home but also his bed. And if Zack was right, this was all done out of genuine kindness and nothing more. Genesis felt a swell of gratitude towards the man back in the lounge.

The world could do with a little more altruism.

Genesis dropped the change of clothes he'd brought with him besides the door and padded up to the doona covered lump that was his sleeping lover. He stuffed his beanie into the pocket of his coat and pulled his face mask down around his neck. "Zack, love", he called quietly.

The brunette didn't stir so he placed a knee on the edge of the mattress and leaned over him. He gently carded back the wild black hair strewn over his lover's face and brushed the backs on his fingers against his cheek. Genesis clicked his tongue at the fever hot skin. He tried again, "Zack, darling, wake up."

Zack made a low noise. "Gen?" he croaked sleepily.

Genesis smiled. "I'm here. Time to go home."

Zack breathed deeply and slowly rolled onto his back. Genesis smoothed his hair back and continued to card his fingers through the strands strewn across the pillow as Zack liberated a hand from the blankets and rubbed at his eyes. He groaned pitifully. "Ow."

Genesis's lips tipped in a frown. "What hurts?" he asked, smoothing a thumb over the ridge of his brow.

"Everything", Zack said after a moment.

Genesis made a sympathetic sound and pecked him lightly on the mouth, unheeding of morning breath. "You're taking something the second we get back", he said.

"Yeah", Zack agreed readily and struggled to sit up. Genesis slipped his arms around him and helped, moving further onto the bed. They sat together for a moment like that, with Zack wrapped in his arms and leaning into him heavily. "This sucks", Zack murmured into his neck.

Genesis squeezed him gently and kissed the side of his head.

"I know, love."

* * *

With some instruction from Zack, Genesis found his way to the laundry and collected his lover's things before returning to the bedroom to help him change.

They took their time and shared quiet conversation as they went, filling each other in on their day before since they hadn't been able to last night.

Zack was achy and starting to feel a tickle in his chest and throat that promised coughing in his near future, but at least he could stand up without the world going all kaleidoscope on him.

"So, that's Cloud", Genesis commented casually as he was tying the laces of his boots for him.

Zack lifted his eyebrows in interest and looked down at him from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Mmhmm", he hummed.

Genesis glanced up knowingly, lips curling into the beginnings of a smirk. "He's very cute."

Zack's lips twitched and he glanced away thoughtfully and then back again as he started to grin. "It might've partly been the fever and crashing into a metal balcony but-" Zack ducked his head. "My first thought when I saw him was that he was an angel", he confessed, laughing at his own cheesiness.

Genesis snorted. "An angel? Really?"

"Hey, I was really out of it and he was all", Zack gestured vaguely with his hands to try and convey what all of Cloud was, "backlit and glowy and blonde, with those big blue eyes. You'd've thought it too."

Genesis laid his chin on Zack's knee and snickered.

Zack frowned playfully and gave a lock of his hair a gentle tug, then carded his fingers through his fringe. He cupped the side of his face and thumbed at his cheekbone.

Genesis closed his eyes and leaned into his hand with a faint smile. After a moment he looked up at Zack. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah", Zack smiled back. "Let's go home."

* * *

Somehow, Cloud was still dozing when they made their way into the lounge and didn't show any signs of stirring.

Zack moved to the back of the couch and peered down at the blonde. He slapped a hand over his mouth to keep a hysterical burst of giggles contained as he got a good look at Cloud's insane bed head. He turned back to Genesis with wide eyes as his lover leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Was it like that before?" he asked disbelievingly.

Genesis chuckled lowly. "Yes, it was. He was barely coherent when he answered the door."

Zack wheezed quietly. "Oh my god", he whispered in delight and after a moment of contemplation knelt down at the head of the couch.

He reached out and gave Cloud's shoulder a gentle prod.

…Nothing.

He tried again. Prod. "Cloud."

Cloud grunted in acknowledgment after a short delay.

Genesis snorted and pulled his face mask back into place.

"Cloud, buddy, wakey-wakey", Zack sing-songed.

Cloud's eyebrows scrunched up. "Cloud's not here right now", he muttered and pulled the sheets over his face, and only his face. If that was his attempt at blocking out the world it was hilariously unsuccessful.

Genesis laughed and Zack was barely keeping it together himself as he tugged as one of those far-too-tempting spikes. He rubbed the strands between the pad of his thumb and forefinger. Even though it looked like that his hair was so soft. How…? What a mystery.

"Come on, you can do it." Zack coaxed. "I need to say goodbye, bud, can't do that with you asleep."

There was a beat of silence as Cloud seemed to contemplate this before he heaved a sigh from under the sheet. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Why're you so chipper?" the blonde grumbled and those lovely baby blues finally cracked open. He peered over at Zack accusingly. It was adorable.

"Why're you so cute?" Zack shot back.

Cloud scowled heavily and looked away. There was a bright flush creeping up the back of his neck and into his ears.

Zack couldn't help himself and cooed at him, reaching out to give his hair another tug.

Cloud's scowl deepened. "You were saying goodbye", he said to distract him.

Zack smiled. "Yeah, Gen came to get me a bit earlier than planned", he said, glancing back over his shoulder and saw Cloud look in the same direction out the corner of his eye.

Genesis eyed the blonde as he was observed in turn and could see the moment his eyes lit up with recognition. He barely held back a sound of amusement as Cloud then turned to look at Zack with a downright concerned expression.

"Has anyone ever told you", he asked him slowly, "that you suck at keeping secrets?"

Zack was quiet for second, surprised, and then threw his head back and laughed uproariously. He tapered off into wheezy little coughs as it wound down and Genesis frowned faintly in concern.

Meanwhile, Cloud was rubbing at his forehead and muttering something about leaving the room. Genesis didn't quite catch it but Zack must've because he chuckled again and said, "Sorry." He then started to get up from his kneeling position and Genesis quickly stepped forwards to help when he spotted the slight tremble in his limbs.

Cloud tipped his head back and blinked up at the two of them with a neutral expression. If he though anything of their casual familiarity he didn't let it show on his face. His eyes really were a stunning shade of blue, Genesis thought as he observed them finally from up close.

Zack reached out and gave the blonde's hair an affectionate ruffle. "Bye, Cloud", he said, "and seriously, thanks again for everything." Something about the finality of that statement didn't quite sit well with him but Zack shoved the feeling down and kept smiling.

Cloud hummed and as Zack retracted his hand said a quiet, "Bye."

Genesis kept his arm looped around Zack's shoulders as the two of them turned and walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind them.

And Zack ignored the irrational little prickle of disappointment in his chest.

* * *

**AN/:**

This is literally just a POV change up of the last chapter but I felt compelled to do it. I tried to move things around as much as I could while keeping to the same events but yeah... hopefully it's not too dull to read...


	3. Chapter 3

He was having a very eventful weekend, Cloud thought to himself as he pulled experimentally at the duct tape wrapped around his wrists, keeping his arms trapped behind his back.

Beside him a similarly bound Tifa shifted her weight and sighed quietly in aggravation.

This was the third time someone had tried to rob her bar but these guys were doing a lot better than the last ones. Still, whether they'd get away with it or not remained to be seen.

The robbers were certainly dressed for the occasion, in their all black outfits and matching ski-masks. Although, looking closer, Cloud suspected they were actually just stretched out beanies with holes cut into them. It was no wonder they'd resorted to robbery if they couldn't even afford a single ski-mask.

Cloud might have felt some level of sympathy for the guys if it hadn't been for the downright lecherous way they'd eyed his friend earlier, blatantly running their eyes up and down her body.

Tifa, Cloud, and an unfortunate part-timer named Jim were the only ones at the bar, since they'd been closing up for the night when the pair had swaggered in. The robbers had come prepared and after whipping out a handgun each, had a terrified Jim tape Tifa and Cloud's arms while they kneeled at gunpoint before one of the robber's did his.

That guy had then watched them as the other emptied the till into an empty backpack. The robbers didn't speak at all during this time but once the bag was stuffed they gathered together and had a whispered conversation. Apparently coming to a consensus, the guy who had opened the till turned back to them.

"You", he said, pointing at Jim, "and you", he pointed at Tifa next. "Get up and go into the back room", he instructed, waving his gun carelessly.

The two of them complied silently, though Jim was audibly breathing in fear as he went. When Tifa passed the guy holding the bag of money he reached out and gave her behind a hard slap. "Git", he laughed.

Tifa drew a sharp breath, eyes flashing with outrage. The only reason she didn't react beyond that was because of the guns, but Cloud could tell it was a near thing. He was barely holding back himself and glared death at the man, lip curling in an expression of disgust.

The guy just grinned at him and called out to the other two. "We're taking your friend with us. If you try calling the police once we're gone, he gets a bullet in the head. Clear?"

Tifa nodded sharply, still glaring.

"Good", the money-bag guy said. "Up you get. We're leaving", he told Cloud.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, the wail of a police siren sounded from the street.

The robbers' eyes widened and they froze.

What sounded like several cars pulled up and flashing red and blue lights filled the bar. There was the crackle of a speaker turning on. "Attention: this is the police. We have the building surrounded, please lay down your weapons and come out with your hands up."

"Fuck!" the guy without the money-bag said. "What the fuck!? Who called them?" he snarled accusingly, whipping around to Tifa and Jim, standing in the doorway to the backroom still.

"We didn't! I swear!" Jim shouted fearfully, hunching over protectively.

"Someone must've noticed you", Tifa reasoned calmly, not even blinking. "You came in with the masks already on."

There was a beat of silence as this critical flaw was pointed out before both robbers started swearing profusely.

Dumbasses.

The guy without the money-bag stalked forwards and grabbed Cloud by the bicep, dragging him up to his feet. He then spun him around and frog marched him towards the front of the bar.

This was dissolving very quickly, Cloud thought wryly, feeling remarkably calm.

The robber ducked further behind Cloud as they reached the door, using him as a shield as he shouted. "We have hostages, you try to come in and we blow their brains out!"

Cliché much?

The robber, let's call him Criminal#2, dragged Cloud back away from the door again and then shoved him in Tifa and Jim's direction. "You three stay there", he instructed as the money-bag guy - Criminal #1 walked over to him.

Again they had a whispered conversation, only this time with much more agitated gesturing.

Criminal#1 slipped the bag onto his back and turned to look at them. "Where's the back door?" he demanded.

Tifa gestured with her head to the room behind them. "Through here."

Criminal#1 pointed his gun, impatiently indicating for them to make way as he strode over.

They moved aside and Criminal#1 brushed past. Criminal#2 had started pacing along the length of the bar, clearly coming apart.

After a minute or two Criminal#1 came back. "There's an alley, I'm gonna check it out", he told his partner and then eyed the three of them. Cloud was grabbed again. "You're with me."

They emerged out the back of Seventh Heaven and Criminal#1 glanced furtively up and down the narrow alley-way before he manoeuvred Cloud in front of him, shoving the barrel of his gun in-between his shoulder blades in warning. He slowly walked the two of them towards the end of the alley, where it met a side-street.

Before they could reach it there was a quiet shuffle of movement behind them and Criminal#1 tensed, hand going tight enough to bruise around Cloud's bound forearm.

"Freeze!" A police officer shouted from the opposite end of the alley and Criminal #1 immediately disobeyed the order, turning the both of them around. He moved the gun from Cloud's back to his head and ground the barrel into his temple.

Cloud frowned, titling his head away from the pressure of the gun.

The police officer also had a gun out and was planted firmly with it pointed in their direction. He seemed to assess the situation for a moment and frowned, eyes hard.

"You don't wanna do that", he told Criminal#1 in a level, coaxing tone of voice. "It's over. Please let that man go and come quietly."

Criminal#1 was starting to breathe heavily, clearly stressed as he shifted restlessly behind Cloud. He stayed silent.

There was movement in the street as more police officers gathered cautiously around the alley-mouth. Crimina#1 made a distressed noise and jerked Cloud, shifting the gun against his head in warning. The officers froze and eyed them warily.

"Put the gun down and let the man go." The police officer from before spoke again, "There's no way for you out of this. Don't make things worse for yourself." When Criminal#1 still didn't respond he kept going. "There's a big difference between robbery and murder. Come on, you know you don't wanna do this."

Criminal#1 swallowed heavily.

Cloud was distracted at that moment by a quiet but very familiar rustle of fabric in the wind. He glanced up, carefully keeping his head still so as to not draw attention, and caught a flash of red in the open window of a nearby building.

Cloud felt a smirk pull at the corner of his mouth.

He looked straight ahead and caught the officer's eye, then pointedly raised his gaze back up to indicate the place he'd glanced earlier. The officer's expression tensed but after a moment he dipped his chin in a subtle nod.

They didn't have to wait long before a sharp crack split the air and Criminal#1 cried out in shock and pain as the gun was knocked clean from his hand.

He cried out for a second time as Cloud then flung his head back and connection his skull with his face.

The man let go, stumbling back, and Cloud immediately lunged away from him. He pivoted, swinging his leg up and around to plant his foot solidly in the robber's crotch with all the strength he could muster. Crimial#1 dropped. It was an instant K.O.

Cloud slowly lowered his leg and straightened out. "That's for groping my friend", he told the downed man, "prick."

There was a moment of shocked silence before officers were shouting over each other and swarming forwards. Cloud was grabbed and dragged away by a few people as the rest piled on the groaning criminal and flipped him over. Someone started reciting rights as they handcuffed him.

"Cloud", Tifa called from somewhere nearby, drawing his attention away from the scene. He turned his head and found her sitting on the back of an ambulance that they had walked him over to without him realising. Jim was perched on one of the gurneys inside, looking exhausted but unhurt.

"Sir, are you injured?" a voice asked before they could say anything else to each other and Cloud turned his head again to blink at the young paramedic standing in front of him.

Cloud shook his head. "No."

The paramedic's partner was carefully cutting through the duct-tape wrapped around his wrists and Cloud exhaled softly in relief as his arms were freed. He gingerly rolled his shoulders forwards and allowed the paramedics to guide him into sitting next to Tifa. A trauma blanket was draped over him.

There was a crowd of onlookers standing off to both sides, kept back by a sparse blockade of exasperated looking police officers. A few of the people had their phones out, and beyond them, there were already one or two news vans parked in the street.

Between one blink and the next Vincent was standing nearby. A few people jumped, startled at his sudden appearance, and Cloud pinched down on an amused grin.

"Are you alright?" his friend asked them both, stepping closer.

Cloud tipped his head. "Thanks to you. Nice shot."

Vincent nodded back in acknowledgment. "Do you need me to stay?"

Tifa and Cloud exchanged a look.

"Nah", Tifa smiled faintly at the offer. "I think we're good. They'll just want statements and stuff. Boring."

Vincent hummed, glancing between them. "If you're sure."

Cloud nodded in agreement and Vincent turned and left, disappearing into the crowd in that mysterious, nonsensical way he did.

The paramedic grabbed his attention again and Cloud docilely followed her instructions as they ran through a check-up.

He had to actively concentrate on her words as the surrounding din of voices steadily grew louder.

At one point Cloud glanced over at the crowd, which had almost doubled now with journalists and reporters with their crew. He tensed when he noticed a camera swing in the direction of the ambulance and frowned, turning his face away.

The paramedic noticed and muttered, "Vultures", in commiseration. Her disapproving expression softened into a smile as she looked back at Cloud. "You're good to go."

Cloud returned the smile politely. "Thank you."

The second they gave the all-clear a police officer was stepping forwards to talk to them. "We'd like you to come down to the station to make statements, and once that's done you should be free to go."

"Sure", Tifa answered, nodding in understanding.

At least this way they'd be able to dodge the media.

"What happened to the other guy?" Cloud asked curiously once the three of them were piled into the back of a patrol car.

Tifa huffed. "He gave himself up. We could hear when you guys got caught in the alley and he freaked, put the gun down and went out the front door", she explained, leaning against Cloud with her head on his shoulder.

Jim was on his other side, slumped down in the seat with his eyes closed. Nothing like being held at gunpoint to make you wanna take a nap.

"Huh", Cloud said.

"Yeah."

* * *

"…How common a name do you suppose 'Cloud' is?" Sephiroth asked Angeal mildly, seemingly out of the blue.

Angeal paused in setting up the dinner table and turned to eye the back of his head. "Not sure but, not very common, you'd think." He frowned faintly. "Why?"

Sephiroth hummed distractedly. "According to the news, there was a man named Cloud involved in an armed robbery last night. I was just wondering what the odds were…", he trailed off as he twisted to glance over the back of the couch at Angeal.

Angeal's eyebrows arched up as he met his gaze, then looked pass him to the TV where there was indeed a news report covering an armed robbery on.

He and Sephiroth exchanged another look and then moved in tandem.

Sephiroth turned back around to grab the remote and increase the volume while Angeal walked to the doorway of the lounge room.

"Zack", he called back into the apartment, "could you come here a moment?"

"Yeah", Zack answered, voice going croaky at the volume since he was still getting over his cold. A few moments later he made his way into the room. "What's up?"

"Is this your Cloud?" Sephiroth asked him without looking away from the TV.

Zack blinked at the question and made a slightly stuffy noise of confusion as he wandered over. He leaned in next to Sephiroth and propped his arms against the back of the couch.

The news report started running a clip of footage taken from a police officer's body-cam and a narrow alleyway came into view. It was clearly night-time from how dimly lit the surroundings were, and a little hard to make out details because of that, but there was no mistaking it.

Zack drew a sharp breathe.

Standing there, in the middle of the alley with a gun shoved up against his head, was Cloud, the very same guy who had taken care of him two nights prior.

Sephiroth observed him from the corner of his eye. "It is him then?" he surmised.

Zack nodded mutely, eyes wide and lips pressed into a thin white line.

Sephiroth tilted his head. "He's alright", he reassured and Zack darted a look at him. "From what I saw earlier there were no casualties."

"Oh thank fuck", Zack breathed out emphatically, closing his eyes at the sudden rush of relief from those words. His shoulders slumped and Angeal laid a warm hand on the small of his back.

They continued to watch together in silence as the clip switched over to a reporter standing on scene during the aftermath. Her voice narrated as they switched again briefly to a shot of the back of an ambulance surrounded by police cars. There were a few people loitering around the vehicles and when one of them shifted aside Zack recognised Cloud again, sitting on the back of the ambulance next to a brunette woman. The blonde glanced in the direction of the camera and scowled before turning his face away.

Zack finally tuned in to the reporter's narration as they switched back to her again.

"-several witnesses reported hearing a gunshot, which is speculated to have been fired by independent vigilante Vincent Valentine who was briefly spotted on the scene. The police have yet to release an official statement but it is believed he was the one to disarm the second man."

"A resident of a nearby apartment complex who witnessed the incident from his home, says that the hostage, Mr. Strife, kicked the man after he had been disarmed and then allegedly told him: 'That's for groping my girlfriend, you prick'-"

Zack spluttered with surprised laughter. "Go Cloud. But are they allowed to air that?" he asked incredulously.

Sephiroth made an amused noise. "Apparently, yes."

Zack propped his head up on one hand. "Geez, he's had an exciting weekend. Poor guy", he said sympathetically. He paused and then started to say hesitantly as the thought came to him, "Do you think…" He flicked a glance towards Angeal. "Would it be…weird? Too weird if I went to see him?"

Angeal hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe, maybe not." He gave Zack a soft look. "You're worried?"

Zack nodded. "A bit. I mean, how often do you get held up at gunpoint? Normally?"

"Not often, normally", Sephiroth said.

Angeal smiled ruefully. "Normally", he agreed. All four of them have had a gun pointed at them more times than they could be bothered keeping count of.

"Yeah, so... But I dunno, I mean," Zack frowned. "I don't have a way to contact him so I'd just be showing up randomly, and I have no idea when I should time it. So, should I…?" He swished his mouth to the side and looked between them, seeking advice.

"You're worried enough to try anyway", Angeal observed.

Zack nodded.

"I'd say go for it then." Angeal gave him a small smile. "Knowing you it'd only stay on your mind, so might as well."

Zack made a noise of agreement.

Sephiroth asked, "I don't suppose you remember what time it was when you landed in his balcony? You could try to use that as reference."

Zack laughed. "Ah, yeah, no clue. And even if I did, that only applies to a Saturday. So I'd have to wait nearly a whole week before I could go, which kinda takes the point out of checking in."

Sephiroth conceded the point with a tip of his head.

"Well", Angeal said, "how about this then. You know the building, so you could leave him a letter with your number and see how that goes."

Zack perked up at the suggestion. "That's a good idea. I didn't think about that." He beamed at Angeal and leaned over to hug him quickly. "Thank you! I'm gonna write now while the thoughts are fresh."

Angeal grunted in acknowledgment as Zack bounced out of the room, passing Genesis who had just gotten back.

"Hi, Gen!" Zack said cheerfully, pausing long enough to lay a quick peck against his cheek. "Bye, Gen!"

Genesis blinked and turned to watch him leave before raising an eyebrow at the other two. "What did I miss?"

* * *

One of his fellow tenants - a young woman in her 20s he recognised from a few random encounters in the lobby - giggled behind her hand as she watched him collect his mail.

Cloud shot her a wary look and quickly retreated to the elevators to escape the attention.

It wasn't until he was back in his apartment and shuffling through the small stack of envelopes that he got some insight into her odd behaviour.

There was a letter.

An actual, handwritten letter, if the blocky penmanship on the outside was any indication.

Cloud stared down at it in mild bafflement. There was no postage stamp or anything. He flipped the envelop over, checking the other side. Nope, nothing, not even a return address. It simply said 'to Cloud'.

So the only way it could've gotten there was if someone personally delivered it; someone who knew him and knew where he lived, right down to the room number.

This was growing even more suspect by the minute.

Cloud frowned as he walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a knife from the cutlery draw and deftly cut the envelop open, extracting the letter.

Whoever sent it had used regular lined paper, from the looks of it, the kind you'd find in any old notebook.

Cloud unfolded the sheet as he leaned his hip against the countertop and began to read.

_Hey Cloud,_

_So this is pretty weird but I saw you on the news and I know you were involved in that armed robbery thing. That's not something that happens every day so I guess I just wanted to check up on you, see if you were okay? But I have no idea what your sched is like and we didn't exchange contacts so… I had to do this old school lol_

_I hope I didn't freak you out too much with the random, suspicious envelop :')_

_Anyways it's totally up to you but I was hoping you could get back to me on this number: 0*********_

_Drop me a line and let me know how you're doing?_

_Zack Fair._

_(you know, that guy who crashed on your balcony that one time)_

_p.s. honestly you seemed like a really cool guy and I'd kinda like to be friends but if you're not comf with that I totally get it. I'd still be glad to hear from you._

Cloud felt like his eyebrows had moved into his hairline by the time he finished, and he re-read the whole thing two more times just to process it properly.

It was from Zack.

A letter.

A hand-written letter.

From Zack.

Zack, who he'd interacted with so briefly they were barely acquaintances. Yet he'd seen Cloud on the news and gotten worried enough to write him a letter – write! _by hand_ \- and then gone out of his way to deliver it, all on the off-chance that he'd reply back.

Cloud mulled this over for a second.

…and then immediately went to find his phone.

* * *

Zack had kept his phone on him all day out of anticipation and, by the time it finally buzzed with a text alert late that afternoon, his hands were almost shaking as he as he got it out. "Whoa, buddy", he whispered to himself and took a moment to calm down, feeling a little silly. He opened his mail.

_CS: hi Zack. I got your letter… This is Cloud btw_

Zack breathed deep and quickly typed out a reply.

_ZF: ! Cloud! Hi! :D_

_ZF: how are u?_

Zack bounced his leg with nervous energy and a minute later there was another text.

_CS: I'm alright thank you for checking in_

Zack hummed absently at that. It was a little lacking in detail.

_ZF: np! Seriously tho it's not every day you get a gun pressed to your head_

_ZF: r u sure you're okay?_

He felt a little bit pushy asking again but he wanted to make sure. Honestly, he'd have much preferred to be doing this in person, sine text could only tell you so much, but it was better than nothing.

_CS: yeah that was an experience. But I'm good. Really._

_ZF: you promise? Pinky promise?_

_CS: pinky promise_

Zack grinned.

_ZF: alright I believe you_

His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he hesitated over what he wanted to ask. He typed and re-typed the text a few times before settling.

_ZF: so would it be okay if I saved your number…? I meant what I said in the letter_

There was a slightly longer wait after he sent the message and he tried to restrain himself from sending another out of nerves. After what seemed like forever, a reply came.

_CS: sure. It'd only be fair since I've already saved yours_

Zack raised a hand up, partially covering the grin that felt wide enough to split his face.

_ZF: ha! You're stuck with me now :P_

_CS: I already regret this_

_CS: lol_

* * *

AN/:

so this is a bit of a short one but there it is. second contact :V maybe not in person like we (and they if they're being honest) wanted- but! give it time!


	4. Chapter 4

"Zack again?" Tifa's amused voice asked, startling Cloud into looking up from his phone.

He blinked at her from across the bar and she could see from here that his ears were going red. Tifa laughed at his expression; like a kid who'd been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. She leaned forwards and propped her chin on her hand, giving him a fond look.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much", she said and then sighed lamentingly, "makes me feel a bit unloved."

Cloud's eyes widened with panic and Tifa laughed again, unable to keep the act up. "I'm joking!" she reassured and gave his arm a light playful smack.

Cloud pursed his lips and dropped his gaze to his hands, resting on the countertop between them. "I'm sorry. We only get to see each other so often and I'm…" he trailed off.

Tifa huffed. Honestly, he could be so hopeless. She reached across and covered one of his hands with hers. "I don't mind. Seriously, you seem a lot happier lately and I could never complain about that." She squeezed his fingers and gave him a warm smile. "I'm glad."

Cloud ducked his head and turned his hand to squeeze back before she let go.

Tifa went back to cleaning the pile of freshly washed glasses she'd been working on. "So do I ever get to meet this guy or what?" she asked.

Cloud shrugged and picked up a spare tea-towel to help out. "I've only seen him in person once myself so I honestly can't say."

Tifa's eyebrows arched up in disbelief. "Seriously? Just the once? I thought you'd've met up again by now."

Cloud shook his head as he concentrated on the wine glass in his hand.

"Huh", said Tifa. "So you've just been texting?"

Cloud hummed. "At first. We use a messaging app now. It's easier."

"Hmm."

It had been several months since he and Zack had gotten back into contact via the letter and they'd been talking pretty much constantly ever since. Not a day passed that he didn't get some random comment or an anecdote about things happening in Zack's life.

It was safe to say that they were friends now, and pretty good friends at that. Though, Zack elicited a specific kind of giddy nervousness from him that Cloud tried very hard to ignore since he'd long since figured out that the man was very much off-limits.

Zack hadn't said anything outright yet but he'd dropped enough random tidbits for Cloud to realise that his crush was living with a certain trio of people. And that he seemed to know them with a level of intimacy that Cloud couldn't imagine as being anything else but a romantic relationship.

It'd been a little shocking at first as he'd put things together. A four-way polyamorous relationship wasn't something you saw very often after all.

There had been a brief time when he'd gotten the wrong idea and panicked to himself, thinking that his friend was either cheating and/or being cheated on.

He had figured things out in the end though and gotten used to it fairly quickly. He now actually looked forwards to hearing about the others, almost if not as much as he liked hearing about Zack himself.

This too he tried not to examine too deeply.

He wasn't sure exactly why Zack hadn't just come out and told him yet, but there were two possibilities that he could think of. The first being, that Zack was worried about how he'd react to it.

It made him happy to think that Zack was invested enough in their continued friendship to worry about affecting it negatively in some way. But if he was being honest, it was also a little hurtful if true, because it meant that Zack didn't think he would accept him.

The second possibility that he'd considered was that one or more of Zack's partners were against letting people know that they were involved the way they were.

If that did turn out to be the reason, then that was something Cloud could understand. And while he wanted to reach a point where Zack, and by proxy the others trusted him enough to tell him outright, he wouldn't push it. Whatever their reasons were, he would respect their privacy.

Living the life they did, that probably wasn't something they got enough of.

* * *

_Zack: uh-oh someone's a grumpy guss_

Cloud glanced curiously at the messaged as it popped up. He was currently multitasking, watching TV while he browsed online stores, sitting with his feet propped on the coffee table and his laptop balanced on his thighs. He clicked on the message, bringing up the app, and typed out: _did something happen?_

_Zack: not exactly… seph's just a little easily peeved lately cause they stopped selling his favourite candles and he can't find a replacement_

_Cloud: oh…? That sucks_

_Zack: yeah. we spent hours going in and out places last weekend and still nothing. i think i've smelled just about every candle fragrance known to man by now lol_

_Cloud: my sympathies_

_Zack: ;P_

_Cloud: I get it though, that stuff can be important to get right. I'm pretty sensitive to smell myself so something can easily build up on me. Makes me nauseous and/or give me a headache_

_Zack: really?_

_Cloud: yeah. Sometimes I've been in an elevator and someone got on whose perfume was so strong I had to get off early just to escape it, and I have to speedrun the cleaning product isle at stores. Stuff like that._

_Zack: wow, rough. sounds similar to seph_

_Cloud: if he's still looking for something I actually know a place. Found it by accident when I did a delivery nearby. It's small, but, I bought some incense from there once and it was fine so... maybe…?_

_Zack: yeah? i'll let him know! …..right now actually brb_

Cloud smiled at that and then went back to what he'd been doing until a few minutes later when a new notif popped up.

_Zack: hey, would you be okay with talking to seph direct…? he says it'd be quicker and i agree but… it's up to you_

_Cloud: umm… yeah I guess_

_Zack: you sure? it's totally cool if not_

_Cloud: no, it's fine. Just surprised_

_Zack: okay cool give it a sec_

A moment later Cloud had a new friend request.

_Cloud: is he the cateye pic?_

_Zack: yup that's seph_

_Cloud: I've added him_

He opened up a new chat window as he got a message from Sephiroth.

_Seph: Cloud, I presume._

_Cloud: that's me_

_Seph: Do you happen to be free this weekend?_

_Cloud: ? I should be…?_

_Seph: Would you mind showing me to the store yourself? I find it easier to get about in public if I'm accompanied and we've been meaning to meet you for some time, so this is convenient._

Cloud paused, gathering his thoughts while he re-read the straight-forward message from his friend's boyfriend.

With how often Zack mentioned the others to him, it only made sense for him to be doing the same with Cloud to the others. He didn't mind, but it was a little bit surprising that they wanted to meet him.

Surprising, but not unpleasant, so…

_Cloud: okay, sure. day/time?_

_Seph: Sunday would be preferable. I am flexible for time but would 12 work for you?_

_Cloud: 12 should be fine. The place is a bit downtown, near the markets. Where would you wanna meet up?_

_Seph: The Edge Clocktower is close to there, correct?_

_Cloud: yeah_

_Seph: There should be fine then._

_Cloud: alright then. Nice. That was pretty easy_

_Seph: It was._

_Cloud: I guess I'll see you sunday_

_Seph: Until then._

* * *

Sunday, for some reason, seemed to take an unusually long time to arrive but when it did Cloud greeted the day with a surprising amount of nervousness. He felt jittery as he went about his morning routine and found himself obsessively checked the time. He ended up leaving much earlier than he needed to and made it to downtown Midgar with a good half hour to spare.

He took a detour and went the long way around, circling the neighbourhood to kill time, before he parked his bike somewhere secure and then headed for the clock-tower on foot.

He was still about 10 minutes early and as he arrived at his destination, noted that there seemed to be an unusual amount of people milling about.

He was just wondering how Sephiroth was going to find him, since he wasn't even sure whether the man knew what he looked like, when he stopped in his tracks.

It seemed he didn't need to worry… because Sephiroth was already here.

Cloud spotted him almost instantly.

Sephiroth was standing under the shade of a tree on the outskirts of the plaza, dressed discretely in civilian clothing with a pair of plain black sunglasses perched on his face, but there was no mistaking that unique silver hair. There was simply no practical way to hide it, though it seemed he'd made some effort since it was plaited loosely and pinned back on itself in a neat loop at the base of his neck.

This explained the crowd, though it looked like no-one was brave enough to bother him directly yet. Instead they hung around, giving him a wide birth while not-so-discreetly staring at the man from a distance. Some people had phones out.

Cloud realised what Sephiroth had meant about moving in public now and felt a surge of sympathy. It must've been fairly maddening.

He cautiously approached and didn't miss the way that people started giving him considering looks as he did so.

Sephiroth turned his head towards him when he got close. "Cloud", he greeted, surprising him.

"Hello", he greeted back, blinking up at him. Guess he wouldn't have to prove his identity then. He tilted his head. "Sorry, have you been waiting long?"

"No", Sephiroth said, "We're both early". He gestured smoothly with a hand. "Shall we?"

Cloud nodded and they dropped into step together as they left the plaza behind.

They didn't talk as they walked, though the silence wasn't awkward. Quite the opposite, it actually felt remarkably comfortable. Cloud wondered at that, shooting a look up at the man besides him. From this angle he could see pass the sunglasses and caught a sliver of green.

It was either a coincidence or Sephiroth was very observant because he glanced back at him then.

Cloud averted his gaze smoothly, looking forwards as they stopped at a crosswalk. "So, candles?"

Sephiroth hummed. "I use them as part of what I suppose you could call a self-care routine. The smell became quite soothing to me over time and it was… distressing when I realised they were no longer available", he informed him candidly.

Cloud made a sympathetic noise and glanced up at him again. "I hope you find something", he said sincerely.

Sephiroth nodded. "So do I."

* * *

The place Cloud directed them to was a tiny out of the way shop wedged in-between two marginally larger buildings. On one side was a very hippy looking clothing store with a whole lot of tie-dye and intricately patterned sarongs. On the other, an old-school confectionery with a window-full of jarred, hard candies and a variety of chocolate coated nuts and fruit, among other things.

Cloud opened the door to their store with a cheery jangle of the brass bell overhead and they were enveloped in the scent of the wares. It was strong, but not overpowering, and he looked back at Sephiroth to gauge his reaction.

The man paused as the door shut behind them and slipped his sunglasses off, hanging them from the collar of his shirt. His eyes seemed to have a glint of approval as they flickered around and then caught on the display of candles towards the back of the store.

Cloud let him pass and turned to the middle-aged woman who emerged from the back room to greet them.

"Hi", she smiled, eyeing Sephiroth for a moment with clear recognition before looking back at Cloud who stood closer to her. "Can I help with anything?"

Cloud smiled back politely. "No, thank you, we're fine."

She nodded and settled herself in a seat behind the counter without further comment, picking up a dog-eared novel.

Cloud glanced towards Sephiroth and then started browsing through the incense section. Now that he was here he might as well re-stock.

He already knew what he liked, so was able to quickly pick out his things and then wandered over to Sephiroth to see how he was doing.

The man was holding two large candles, one in either hand, and had a contemplative look on his face. He glanced over at Cloud's approach and silently offered the one in his left.

Cloud recognised that he was looking for a second opinion and took the candle from him, closing his eyes as he held it up close to his face to get a good smell. It was very subtle: woodsy, with a faint powdery undertone and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Sephiroth held out the second candle but they were a bit big for Cloud to hold comfortably with one hand so he leaned in to smell it instead. Again, it was very subtle, but with a more complex, vaguely floral scent.

Cloud straightened out with a thoughtfully hum. "The first one", he decided after a moment of contemplation.

Sephiroth tilted his head and turned to put the one he held back. "Agreed."

Cloud took their things to the counter and the lady was waiting for them as they got there. He looked back at Sephiroth in askance and received a go ahead gesture, so paid for his things first before stepping aside.

"Thank you, please come again sometime!" the lady said cheerfully as she handed the bag with the candle over.

Sephiroth tipped his head as they turned to leave.

Cloud took a deep breath, filling his lungs with clear air as they stepped back out on to the street. When he turned to address Sephiroth he found the man already looking back at him. He blinked as Cloud looked him directly in the eye.

"So", the blonde said and nodded at the bag Sephiroth held. "Think it'll work for you?"

"I believe so." Sephiroth smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Cloud ducked his head. "I'm glad it worked out."

Sephiroth made a noise of agreement. "…Do you have other plans for today?" he asked.

Cloud tilted his head, looking up at him curiously. "No, I don't."

Sephiroth glanced down the street and then back at him. "Would you like to accompany me to lunch?"

Cloud blinked, going silent for a moment in surprise. "Sure", he said slowly and smiled. "I'd like that."

* * *

"Cloud!" Zack yelped in greeting down the phone-line. "I can't believe you went on a date with Seph and didn't tell me!"

Cloud held the phone slightly away from him for a moment before he brought it back. "It wasn't a date", he denied defensively, feeling his ears go hot.

"It was so", Zack shot back.

"It was not", Cloud rebutted and to keep things from dissolving into the childish 'was-not-was-too' argument he could feel building, quickly redirected with, "Besides, didn't Sephiroth tell you?"

"No!" Zack cried. "He was all mysterious about it. Neither of you told me anything", he whined with crocodile tears in his voice.

"Oh." Cloud blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, really", Zack grumped.

That was a little odd… Okay a lot odd, but he was sure Sephiroth had his reasons. Still…

"Sorry. I could tell you about it now?" he offered.

"Yes!" Zack crowed eagerly, bouncing back with a quickness that showed he hadn't actually been upset for real, though Cloud had half-suspected that already. "Deets! Don't leave anything out."

Cloud huffed a laugh at his enthusiasm. "Well", he started. "He asked me to show him to that shop I mentioned and we agreed on Sunday at noon."

"So it was then!" Zack interrupted. "I wondered where he was going. He had one of his 'nothing-to-see-here-I'm-just-a-regular-guy' outfits on."

Cloud snorted at the description. "Yeah. The place is in downtown so we met at The Edge Clock-tower and walked from there. I showed up about 10 minutes early but he was already there."

Zack made an understanding sound. "Yeah, he does that. Sorry, go on."

Cloud continued. "We didn't really talk much at first but it wasn't like, awkward silence, just… chill?"

Zack hummed. "Figures, you're both pretty low-key. That's good though! Not awkward, more comfortable silence?"

"Yeah. It felt easy, somehow."

"Aw", Zack cooed.

"Anyway", Cloud went on, "we went to the store and it was pretty quick, I guess. He got it down to two options and asked for my opinion. We both agreed on one and he ended up buying-Oh! Did he try it yet, do you know? The candle."

"Yeah, he used it today. That's how I found out, you little sneaks", Zack accused playfully.

"Did he like it?" Cloud pressed.

"Yeah, seemed pretty happy after."

Cloud smiled, pleased. "That's good."

Zack huffed. "So, you bought stuff, and then…?" he prompted.

"And then he asked if I had other plans. I said no, so he invited me to get lunch together."

"Ooo!" Zack said excitedly. "That's a big deal! Seph doesn't usually extend socialising if he doesn't have to. He must've liked you", he informed Cloud happily.

Cloud could feel the heat that had never completely left his ears start creeping up the back of his neck as well. This whole conversation was weird and he didn't know how to respond to that so just continued his story.

"So, yeah, anyway. I'd driven my bike in and didn't want to go too far so we stayed in downtown, found a café since neither of us were that hungry, had a light lunch and coffee. Talked for a while, got to know each other a bit better."

Zack made the verbal equivalent of a nod.

"And… that was it", Cloud finished a little lamely.

Zack allowed it, probably sensing his growing discomfort, and instead asked with a teasing lilt, "…What part of that doesn't sound like a date to you?"

"Uhh", Cloud replied sarcastically, "The part where you both agree it's a date? With Romantic subtext?"

"Pah! Subtext smubtext. It was totally a date."

Cloud could practically hear the grin in his friend's voice. "I'm gonna hang up on you", he said dryly.

Zack laughed. "You can hang up on me, but you can't hang up on reality! Cloud and Sephiroth sitting in a tree-", he started to sing.

"Goodbye Zack!" Cloud said loudly to drown him out, voice wavering with laughter despite himself.

"K.I.S.S.I.N.G!"

Cloud hung up just as Zack finished the rhyme. He dropped the phone and covered his flushed face, groaning into his hands as he slumped down on his couch until he was almost onto the floor.

* * *

Last Sunday had gone rather well, Sephiroth thought.

He and the others had been hearing so much second-hand information about Zack's newest friend that sometimes they felt like they already knew him.

Still, he could admit that he'd been surprised by how well they'd gotten along as much as he'd been pleased. He was aware that he wasn't the easiest man in the world to socialise with.

Sephiroth had only seen him the once, briefly, through the footage on that news report several months back, but he'd recognised the blonde almost instantly. It felt as though his gaze had been drawn to him as Cloud stepped into the busy plaza, hair practically glowing under the sunlight.

He'd seen the moment Cloud had spotted him in turn, and noted the way the blonde glanced at the many people there who'd done the same. His expression had been hard to read from the distance but Sephiroth could tell he was nervous as he approached him.

Sephiroth had kept his head turned away to make things easier for him, observing discreetly from behind the screen of his sunglasses, and only made to acknowledge him once he was close enough to call out to.

Cloud had seemed surprised for a moment and then the nervousness melted away, turning to curiosity as he blinked up at him. That had been interesting.

Sephiroth had thought he'd been anxious about approaching because of who he was, but perhaps there had been another reason.

Everything after that had happened with a smoothness that he had only ever experienced with his partners.

Cloud seemed to read all of his unspoken cues with ease and responded accordingly.

And when he'd looked at Sephiroth, he'd looked him straight in the eye without flinching. Something else he was not used to.

Growing up, his eyes had more often than not made the people around him nervous, due to their inhuman appearance. To the point that'd he'd early on developed a habit of not facing people directly when he spoke to them.

But interacting with Cloud had been so easy that for a moment he'd forgotten himself. By the time he realised he was looking straight at him it was too late to turn away. And then it seemed he didn't need to.

Inviting him to extend their time together had been a simple decision to make and the conversation they shared over lunch had been as easy as every else had been.

It was good. All of it had been good.

As he'd told Cloud, the three of them - Genesis, Angeal and he – had been waiting for an opportunity to meet him properly for a while now.

He hadn't told Zack about their plans beforehand because he was bad at lying to him and hadn't wanted to risk him catching on to the real reason.

They were interested in Cloud and his growing friendship with Zack and had wanted to see how he fit with the rest of them.

They could tell from experience that the way Zack was reacting to the blonde implied feelings beyond just friendship.

They didn't want to get his hopes up before they were sure but, the three of them had discussed it and decided that they wanted to try getting to know Cloud on their own terms, individually, with the possibility of inviting him into their relationship in mind.

With how well his meeting with Sephiroth had gone, and after Zack had found out about it, they'd given in and told him about their intentions.

Doing so had opened the gates to a whole new discussion which had led to Zack admitting, while apologising profusely, to his own growing feelings for Cloud.

It seemed the reason he hadn't told them from the get go had been because he'd thought they'd fade over time, but then when they hadn't he'd panicked. Zack would never intentionally do anything to hurt them or damage their relationship, but Cloud was more or less his best friend at this point and he hadn't wanted to lose that connection.

For a few weeks now he'd been agonising over how to explain all of this to them, and now it was out.

They accepted his apology. Having already had their own suspicions and with their own growing interest in the blonde it hadn't been hard to do.

Now they just had to wait and see how things went.

They still wouldn't be bringing it up with Cloud, not until he was more familiar with all of them, but… they were hopeful.


End file.
